The caravan crawled ever so slowly throughout the burning Yithrab desert. Camels were the logical choice of the merchants, as the burning sun and the dry road made horses impractical. Even so, the merchants had covered even the camels with extra sheets to avoid the murderous glare of the sun.
Still the journey was worth it. The Oasis city of Madinat-al-Qalb, or just, Qalb sold myrrh and colored glass, produced from the endless desert's strange sand that was infused with magical qualities and yielded incredible products. In exchange it took steelware, silver and tools containing wood. Ages ago, the desert nomad-turned-city dwellers of Yithrabis also had bought and sold slaves until the trade proved itself to be far too dangerous and painful ever since the desert-dwelling mamono preyed upon the manfolk enough to make the city of Qalb eventually female-dominated. Now the new rulers were content at trading and crafts.
The Tuscan merchant Giacomo's heart lifted as he eventually saw the golden domes of the city. That meant no robberies or kidnappings that he feared.
The desert had tribes of Girtablilu, scorpion-girls and Tetra, horned humanoid women with four arms and a martial tradition. Luckily each races had their own males and kept to themselves, until the new Monster Lord's emergence stopped male births altogether.
The unscrupulous trader or slaver often just lugged young boys that they promptly left tied up or offered to mamonos in exchange for safe passage. Sometimes the mamonos robbed the caravan and took everything anyway.
In a lush or easier world, such mamono girls would be considered a source of joy; here it was fear.
Giacomo's caravan, a hundred camels loaded with tools and utensils made a huge profit in return for the exotic goods they took.
"It won't hurt to rest a day,
sayidi
" Tariq, the Bedouin guide told him. "The mahluqat women are hungry. I picked up their spoor following ours when I had to retrieve my camel's good luck charm that fell off." He held a aquamarine necklace, it's ribbon freshly repaired now. Turquoise was the lucky charm of the eastern folk of Wu-Sun, born of wolves and ravens, considering monstergirls have werewolves and raven tengu, not a far fetched theory.
Giacomo nodded. His men simply plopped down on the caravanserai, some sitting down for some coffee at the nearby tavern.
They did not notice the several cloaked mamono girls under disguise following them.
A group of desert monsterwomen, some Tetra-women and Scorpion-girls, watched them. Cute, beautiful women with monster-features stalked them, and wanted men.
No one would pay the mamono any heed unless they made themselves clear. The girtablilu, humanoid save for a stinger, chitinous limbs and a sharp attitude, kept their tails tucked in their cloaks; and the Tetras kept the second pair of arms on their hips.
Tetra-women were horned monsterwomen that predated humans in the desert. They were tan, toned, muscular, and beautiful, horned, and having four powerful arms.
And they liked human boys ever since males died out.
"How about this one , sister?" One of them poked the other. "Looks handsome, and not too aggressive." The older one with a small circlet, chuckled.
"I sense that he is...well..." She held her index finger and thumb making a "too small" measure, eliciting a laugh from the others.
"Oh. This one serving the others. Look." The seeress amongst them pointed. "Mild-mannered, young and...I smell his fertility. Look at him, he seems to be the merchant's servant or something." They watched the boy run to and fro , bringing the drinks to the older men." He flinched as one of the older, dirtier men pinched his bottom and made a lewd joke.
The monstergirls frowned. Men should be in their beds or making more humans with human women, not sexually harassing younger boys.
"Aww...that one. He deserves better than this." They all giggled. The seeress, Zenobia grew serious. "I could use that one for my daughter. She is 16."
"Hey, we didn't come here just for your matchmaking, Zenobia. Let's mark some more."
"That one. Middle aged, poor but fertile. Bet he is a penniless guard. We can share him." That brought a communal laughter.
"We kidnap now, or wait for the caravan to move?" One of the Tetras questioned, playing with her daggers on her belt.
Zenobia sneered."I say tonight. We split, sneak and seduce if needed, and rob the men. You scorpions can keep the older ones and whatever money you can make off with. I need a young boy and some men."
Akreb, the leader of the scorpion-girls asked: "Why not outside? That way we can be as liberal as possible and take everything." Zenobia glared at her.
"Same reason you don't eat the goose that lays golden eggs.They can recoup their losses here easily. Outside it means the caravan might die. Dead merchants don't pass trade routes, or next party comes with armed men. Just keep our horses ready so we can ride out with the men."
Akreb was a lovely woman even though her lower half was a scorpion: but she was dense.
"Everyone, put your masks on when we start. Last time I fought one of their guardwomen, she jabbed a poisoned dagger up my ass. It took months to recover."
The monstergirls stirred, slowly starting to move.
"Split up, and mark your prey carefully. Let's be off in warm beds with them when the day breaks."
So, the exotic looking mamono girls grinned, made their plans, and melted inside the crowd as simple travelers at the coffee house, except Girtablilu, who simply buried themselves nude amonst the dunes.
**
"Mateo! Bring me some wine! Tell the bartender to put on my tab!" One of the drunken caravan guards bellowed amongst the celebrating and drinking crowd.
"Mateoooo!" After a failed response, he simply plopped on the pillows he was sitting on. "Fucking useless..."
The human boy had run to and fro and finally was exhausted. He ordered some of the strong smelling coffee to himself, and separated himself from the caravan he worked with. It was better than starving in an orphanage, but the demands they put was unpleasant.
The cool air outside, and the small fountain did good to calm down his ears and head as he sipped the strong drink, sat in front of the stone fountain and sighed contentedly. Soft footsteps behind him slowed and stopped , as a somewhat feminine voice questioned. Turning his head only revealed a cloaked feminine figure, a...woman.
"Tired?"
He nodded.
"They make you work hard?"
"Yes. Who are you?" The boy looked curiously at the cloaked figure. It revealed nothing.
"Just a local." The unisex voice droned. It was technically correct, her tribe lived here for aeons. "Are they your family?"
The boy looked ragged, sad, and cute to Zenobia's eyes.